Foot-operated switch-throwing mechanism



J. W. BLlZNlK.

FOOT OPERATED SWITCH THROWING MECHANISM. APPLICATION man APR-3,1922.

1,426,542, Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

' 2 suns-sum 1L attoz may APPLICATION HLED APR- 3. 1922.

Patented Aug. 22. 1922 2 snesrs-sms'n 2.

gnoenl'o'a atboz nu;

JOHN w. BLIZNIK,:orinnirno r,* MronIGAn.

'IOOT-OPERHTED swrron 'rnnowme:MEoH'ANIsMQ' "Application filed April 3 T0 aZZ-whmn/z't mag concern.

l 3e"it-known that I, J OHN "TV. BLIZNIK, a citizen of the United States, =residing'at. Detroit, in the county of Wayne, and State useful l improveinents in Foot-Operated Switch-Throwing Mechanisms, of which the following is a specificatiom-reference being had to the accompanying drawings. I

It is the purpose ofthe'present invention to provide a mechanism of this character wherein fahar or member is mounted in the housing for reciprocating movements, '-with compound tensioning means operatively connectingwith the 'bar forholding it at "the limit of its movement's ineither direction, thereby holding the switch point open or closed, in combination withgmeans, preferably foot actuated, andoperatively connected with the'reciprocating bar formoving the same, so that'the-switch point may ioe opened or" closed. i

It is to he understood that the particulars herein; given are'in 'no way' -"limitative and "that'while stillke'eping' within the scope of the invention',= any desired 'modifications of detail and desired proportions may be made in the apparatus according to circumstances.

The inventioncomprises further-features and combination of parts a's will be herein aftelnset forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawingske v t r Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway switch, showing the improved foot operated mechanism connected to the switch point,

I? "andconstructed 'in' accordance'with the in- Figure 5 is'an enlarged detail perspective view of the foot actuated lever and its con nections with an oscillatory member, which in turn operates with a reciprocating bar;

- Specification of LettersIatent. Patented 1922. -seria1 1vw54a'o52.

Figure '6 is :a detail view of the wc-on'nec- It1on with one 'ofthe =foot pedals? 35.

Referring tofithe drawings, 1 and 2-" desig -natethemain'rails and 3.-and tsiding rail's, 5 of lslichigan, have invented {certain new and whereas 5 and: 6- denote the switch: points.

A vbar z' connects the'-'-two switch; points 5 and 6, and is guidedibelow' the rails; and

.ijisipivotally connected :at 8 to a reciprocating ,Fhar'Q, which is:mountedkforcreciprocating= movements .in a housing :10 :mounted :upon I the ties: to: one 5 side-of ithe main mire. This 'ihousing is:cbm'struct edI oflzany vsuitalo'le materrial, preferahly metal 1 and .is provided with sa cover 11, which is 'bolte1d in placeras shown! .in'g113 inrone walleof the housing and. a slot lli adj acent its other end. Bassingithrongli tom of the housing. By meansofsthetfulrcrum orr pini'l5gandi'the slot 14; the recipro rj-catin-g ar 9His guided=:in'iits mo one "direction or the-other."

har "has an enlargement =16, in recesses "17 vof whi ch rods- 18 are pi votally connected at -19; These rods 18iare=guidedinopenings:20

f of "webs or walls .721, :which: are' 'integrally 1 connected with" the ihousing. wWashers 101' plates (22am; mounted 011 the: outeriend :portions 0f the #rods 18, and cbetweerrthese washers "or plates "22 and acol lars '23 Approximately the centnalyportion of athe '7 vein'ents in (which arelfixed:'at i24-to the inner endssof t 'th'e rods) are expansioncoil springs 25. NV'hiIe the' rods 18 have slighti reciprocating movements inithe guide' openings 20, they also slightly =oscilla teidue f to the reciprocating -movements of the bar 9. When theibar n9 hasbeen moved and'the switchixpoints 5 and '6 are open,'=to causeaitraini-to take the siding; thespringsQ'Sare slightly expanded on one; side of the line a'a,, passingfthrou'gh theguide openings2O, and in this case the 1 adj acentends of'the rods- 18 have been moved oloser to the' 'swit'ch-points.

When th bar 9 has beenimoved inuthe "opposite pdirection, namely -movmgthe switch; oi-nts; 5 and"=6*t0-their =closed positions -in order that a tra-i-n 'may continnemon the mail Tails; the springs 25 are expanded throu h the guide openin s 20. In this case the adjacent pivoted 15 f the rods 18 on the opposite side of the line 0;-a, passing I i have been moved a greater distance from said switch points.

Mounted for oscillatory movement upon the fulcrum or pivot pin 15 is an oscillatory bar 26, to the ends of which links 27' are pivotally connected. These links are in turn pivoted to links 28, which in turn are pivoted at 29 to the arms 30 of a pair of hell crank levers 31.

A second oscillatory bar 32 is 'fulcrumed at 33 on a standard 31, which rises from the bottom of the housing. The bar 32 is provided withsuitable foot pedals 35, either one of which may be engaged by the foot of an operator, for oscillating the bar 32. Pivotally depending at 36 from the bar 32 are links 87, which are pivoted at 38 to thearms 39 of said bell, crank levers 31.

. Pivoted at 40 to one end of the oscillatory bar 26 is a link 41,which in turn is pivoted at 4-2 to the reciprocating bar 9.

Obviously when pressure is applied upon one of thefoot pedals 35, oscillating the bar 7 32, one or the other of said bell crank levers 31 is oscillated, which in turn oscillates the bar 26, thereby reciprocating the bar. Obviously the bar 9 will act to move the switch points either from an open position to closed positions, or closed positions to open positions and vice versa. I

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is 1. Ina switch throwing mechanism, a switch point, a housing, a bar mounted in said housing for reciprocating movements therein and connected to said switch point,

compound tensioning means cooperatively connecting with said bar and holding it at the limit of its movements in either direction, thereby holding the switch point open or closed, said bar having a slot therein, an

oscillating bar having its pivot passing through said slot to guide the reciprocating bar, and means operatively connecting with each end of the oscillating bar, which in turn has means operatively connecting with the reciprocating bar for actuating the same to throw the switch point.

2. In a switch throwing mechanism, a switch point, a housing, a bar mounted in said housing for reciprocating movements therein and connected to said switch point, compound tensioning means cooperatively connecting with said bar and holding it at the limit of its movements in either direction, thereby holding the switch point open or closed, an oscillatory member,said reciprocating bar having operative guiding connections with the fulcrum of the oscillatory member, and means operatively connecting with each end of the oscillatory member which in turn has means operative ly connecting with said reciprocating bar for actuating the same to throw the switch point.

3. In a switch throwing mechanism, a switch point, a housing, a bar mounted in said housing for reciprocating movements therein, and connected to said switch point, a spring tensioned means on each side of said bar and connected thereto'at right anreciprocating bar for actuating the same to throw the switch point,

i. In a switch throwing mechanism, a switch point, a housing, a bar mounted in said housing for reciprocating movements therein, and connected to said switch point, a spring tensioned means on each side of said bar and connected thereto at right angles therefrom, and adapted to expand on opposite sides of a dead center passing at right angles through the bar for holding it at the limit of its movement in either direction, thereby holding the switch point open or closed, an oscillatory member, said reciprocating bar having operative guiding connections with the fulcrum of the oscillatory member, and means operatively connecting with each end of the oscillatory member, which in turn has means operatively connecting with said reciprocating bar for actuating the same to throw the switch point. I

5. In a switch throwing mechanism, a switch point, a housing, an element niounted in said housing for reciprocating movement therein and connected to said switch point,

compound tensioning means cooperatively connecting with said element and holding it connecting with the reciprocating element for actuating the same, to throw the switch point.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

JOHN w. BLIZNIK. 

